The South and Southerners depicted in Barn Burning and The Life You Save May Be Your Own
Different perspectives are always insightful. Two authors who haveprovided us with images of the south are Flannery O'Connor and WilliamFaulkner. In Flannery O'Connor's short story, "The Life You Save May BeYour Own" and William Faulkner's "Barn Burning," we are presented withdifferent pictures of the old south and those who lived there. O'Connorillustrates the gullible in Mrs. Crater and Faulkner gives us insight intothe lives of those who lived under slavery with Abner's family. In "The Life You Save May Be Your Own," Mrs. Crater and her daughterlive in a "desolate" (O'Connor 262) part of the country. Their home is inan isolated area and very far from any public road. Mrs. Crater also owneda large piece of property because we are told that at night "the oldwoman's three mountains were black against the dark blue sky" (267). Weare also told that the yard has a water pump as well as chickens that wereplanning on roosting in a fig tree. Additionally, there is an old shed inthe yard that contains an old rusted vehicle. (263) We also get an idea ofhow isolated the yard is when Mr. Shiftlet tells Mrs. Crater that he would"give a fortune to live where I could see me a sun do that every evenin
O'Connor also depicts Southerners as simplepeople. Despite his circumstance, he knew right from wrong. For example, he "patched thefront and back steps, built a new hog pen, restored a fence, and taughtLucynell, who was completely deaf and had never said a word in her life tosay the word 'bird'" (267). I wouldn't pass up achance to live in a permanent place and get the sweetest girl in the worldto myself. and itwould be a better car" (267). Craterrepresents the gullible character that lives an isolated life in a remotearea of the country that becomes the perfect victim of a scam artist. Crater still believes his name is Tom Shiftlet. can't sas you back or use foul language" (269). In the short story, "Barn Burning," William Faulkner gives us arepresentation of the old south from the perspective of a slave family. O'Connor illustrates the gullible nature of southerners in Mrs. He says: People whose lives are a part of this peace and dignity are behind his touch, he no more to them than a buzzing wasp: capable of stinging for a little moment but that's all; the spell of this peace and dignity rendering even the barns and stable and cribs which belong to it impervious to the puny flames he might contrive" (478). These statements revealtwo important things about Mrs.
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Acceptance Essays
